Tueart leads tributes to Doyle

28 June 2011 04:30

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Manchester City legend Dennis Tueart led the tributes today to his former captain Mike Doyle, who has died at the age of 64.

Doyle was part of the City team that won the league title, FA Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and the League Cup between 1968 and 1970. He then skippered the City side that overcame Newcastle 2-1 in the 1976 League Cup final.

Tueart, who scored the winning goal at Wembley that day, told Sky Sports News: "It was a great shock this morning - I didn't know he was ill. Asa Hartford, another one of my colleagues in the 1976 team, texted me to give me the news and it is very sad. Mike was a born winner. He had two periods really as a great player for Manchester City."

He added: "He was one of the younger players in the Joe Mercer-Malcolm Allison era, but when I came in 1974, he then became my captain and there was no question, he was a fantastic leader on the field. The one thing Mike wanted to do was win games for Manchester City.

"At the end of the (1976 final) when the final whistle went he went straight across to the Manchester City supporters to acknowledge their support and (it showed) the feeling he had for the club. I know I got all the praise for the winning goal, but in my mind, Mike was our player of the match, without question."

Manchester-born Doyle joined City as an apprentice in 1962 and made his first-team debut in March 1964.

Featuring primarily as a defender, he went on to become a key player in the club's hugely successful period with Mercer as manager and Allison as assistant.

Following their departure, he was handed the captain's armband in 1975 and a year later, Doyle - who had scored in the 1970 League Cup final win against West Brom - led City to their second triumph in the competition.

Tough and uncompromising on the field, Doyle, winner of five England caps, was also famed for his dislike of local rivals Manchester United.

Having made over 550 appearances for City, he left in 1978 to join Stoke and after further spells with Bolton and Rochdale, retired in 1984.